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National Center for Accessible Transportation Server Side Interactions Servers take content from the Content Database and deliver in W3C compatible webpage Servers take content from the Content Database and deliver in W3C compatible webpage Server Responds Server Responds –Finding appropriate template, –Filling it with appropriate content –Return to user agent as complete document

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National Center for Accessible Transportation Accessible Templates Website templates-visual appeal Website templates-visual appeal Accessible websites- content reaches all audiences Accessible websites- content reaches all audiences OPTION: provide server with two or more templates the best meet needs of audience OPTION: provide server with two or more templates the best meet needs of audience

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National Center for Accessible Transportation NOTE In conventional web design: In conventional web design: –the appropriate template is the ONLY template. The new approach: The new approach: –preparation of multiple templates, –server chooses the most appropriate one

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National Center for Accessible Transportation Server –User Agent Interactions User Agent is server’s best friend User Agent is server’s best friend User Agent identified to Server knows what kind of agent it is interacting with e.g. User Agent identified to Server knows what kind of agent it is interacting with e.g. –Visual Bowser, Screen reader or indexing spider

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National Center for Accessible Transportation Content Database “Database” may not always be a database, but may also refer to repositories of text or HTML files for content generation “Database” may not always be a database, but may also refer to repositories of text or HTML files for content generation OSU: each file contains content of a single page OSU: each file contains content of a single page –Server places: headers, footers and navigation menus around page

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National Center for Accessible Transportation Plain-Old Semantic-HTML (POSH) Website uses the simplest HTML markup possible Website uses the simplest HTML markup possible Formatting done later with style sheets, rather than in the code itself. Formatting done later with style sheets, rather than in the code itself. Code will still display in a predictable, hierarchical manner, regardless of formatting applied by server Code will still display in a predictable, hierarchical manner, regardless of formatting applied by server

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National Center for Accessible Transportation TEXT ONLY Text only is ultimate fall back Text only is ultimate fall back Content Templates Content Templates –Default – conventional audiences –Accessible template

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National Center for Accessible Transportation Accessible Forms Is form navigation organized logically? Is form navigation organized logically? Do all form controls have associated label via a label element? Do all form controls have associated label via a label element? Will the form work regardless of user agent accessing it? Will the form work regardless of user agent accessing it?

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National Center for Accessible Transportation Form Design Predictable layout Predictable layout Screen readers rely on HTML Label elements Screen readers rely on HTML Label elements Navigation essential Navigation essential Users must be able to orient and fill out form with keyboard only Users must be able to orient and fill out form with keyboard only

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National Center for Accessible Transportation Form Processing Client Side –scripting language Javascript – not all user agents support java script - unstable Client Side –scripting language Javascript – not all user agents support java script - unstable Server Side –carry out important form processing on server side Server Side –carry out important form processing on server side

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National Center for Accessible Transportation Accessible Template Design Content and Navigation Content and Navigation Many sites have accessible content that can not be reached! Many sites have accessible content that can not be reached! Important to realize that many internet users navigate only with a keyboard Important to realize that many internet users navigate only with a keyboard

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National Center for Accessible Transportation Page Layout Content layout not interpreted the same by a web browser as a screen reader Content layout not interpreted the same by a web browser as a screen reader Screen reader very linear from top of page source code to bottom Screen reader very linear from top of page source code to bottom Source code and visual display are not the same Source code and visual display are not the same

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National Center for Accessible Transportation Screen Reader and Source Code Screen reader reads the source code literally Screen reader reads the source code literally Visually, any code element placed anywhere but cannot alter the order in which the code is read. Visually, any code element placed anywhere but cannot alter the order in which the code is read. Important to ensure that your site/ content make sense before undertaking a 'civic beautification' project! Important to ensure that your site/ content make sense before undertaking a 'civic beautification' project! The…

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National Center for Accessible Transportation Layout Formatting should not replace HTML elements: Formatting should not replace HTML elements: “paragraph” element replacing “second largest header element” on a page header would not be seen as a header by a screen reader “paragraph” element replacing “second largest header element” on a page header would not be seen as a header by a screen reader

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National Center for Accessible Transportation All Content Displayed by default template should be available to Accessible Templates Example of how this might work: http://www.csszengarden.com/ http://www.csszengarden.com/

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National Center for Accessible Transportation Notes to the Wise Styled HTML for horizontal list rather than a table Styled HTML for horizontal list rather than a table Be careful not to repeat information – extensive navigation material or provide a way to skip it or Be careful not to repeat information – extensive navigation material or provide a way to skip it or Locate menus at bottom of code and use style sheet to move to top Locate menus at bottom of code and use style sheet to move to top

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National Center for Accessible Transportation Maintaining Parallel Templates Maintenance is a challenge Maintenance is a challenge If more than one version of a website exists then revisions require multiple updates If more than one version of a website exists then revisions require multiple updates Templates need to be updated but not content pages Templates need to be updated but not content pages

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National Center for Accessible Transportation Thank you Thank you to Aaron Grey and RJ Zaworski for their leadership with this project. Thank you to Aaron Grey and RJ Zaworski for their leadership with this project. Thank you to RJ for trying to put this in simple terms! Thank you to RJ for trying to put this in simple terms! Thank you to the TRACE Center for their email advice! Thank you to the TRACE Center for their email advice!

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National Center for Accessible Transportation The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center for Accessible Public Transportation is funded under grant H133E030009 from the National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) in the US Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. The content of this presentation does not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.